Control system basics & their

applications

A Session by S.K.THAKAR
1. Basic Control System
• A control system contains devices which control a
Parameter say Temperature, Pressure ,Flow,
Level, Speed, Frequency, Voltage etc.
• The basic elements of a control System are
 Measurement device of the parameter to be
controlled
 Controller
 Final Control element
 The Measurement devices & Final Control
Elements are Field Devices
 Controller is a device which is generally located in
Control Room, Or can also be located in the field
under exceptional cases
Summary
• Controlled Variable - output quantity of system (Level,
Temperature, etc.).
• Manipulated Variable - means of maintaining controlled
variable at the setpoint.
• Error signal - equals the difference between the setpoint and
the measurement- (e = SP - M).
• Setpoint - desired process level. (SP)
• Measurement - actual process level. (M)
• Closed Loop - automatic control.
• Open Loop - manual control.
• Feedback control is error correction following a disturbance.
• Feedforward control is control of disturbances, which could
cause a process error.
Summary
• On/off control - control signal is either 0% or
100%
• Control at setpoint not achievable, a deadband
must be incorporated.
• Useful for large, sluggish systems .
The Controller Algorithm
Proportional
Kpe(t) is the proportional component, the P in PID e(t) usually called
error, is simply the difference between the setpoint and the
process variable. It is the difference between where you are and
where you want to be, right now, at this instant.
Kp gain, is a factor that is multiplied by the error to give you the
new output, the new valve position.

Error = Setpoint - ProcessValue;

Output = K * Error;

On some systems (though not often in modern systems), gain is

expressed as proportional band. Proportional band is defined as the
amount of change in the controlled variable required to drive the loop
output from 0 to 100%. To convert between the two, gain = 100/PB.
Proportional Control
Terminology

M = Measurement Signal (Process Value)

SP = Setpoint
e = Error
e = SP – M , Note: If M>SP then e is negative, If M<SP then e is positive
m= Controller Signal Output
K = Gain when controller uses e = SP – M
m= Ke
↑↑ Direct Action M↑m↑
↑↓ Reverse Action M↑m↓
PB = Proportional Band
Small (narrow) PB = High Gain
Large (wide) PB = Low Gain
Gain (k) =100%/PB =%Δoutput / %Δinput
 Proportional control provides a control signal,
proportional to the magnitude and direction of the error
signal.

After a disturbance, proportional control will provide only

a new mass balance situation. A change in control signal
requires a change in error signal, therefore offset will occur.

Proportional control stabilizes an error; it does not remove

it.
Integral Response ---Integral (Reset)
The integral component sums the error term over time. The
error is integrated (averaged) over a period of time, and then
multiplied by a constant , and added to the control output.

The result is that even a small error term will cause the
integral component to increase slowly. The integral response
will continually increase over time unless the error is zero, so
the effect is to drive the Steady-State error to zero. Steady-
State error is the final difference between the process
variable and set point. A phenomenon called integral windup
results when integral action saturates a controller without
the controller driving the error signal toward zero.
• Integral (Reset) action removes offset.

• Its units are Repeats per Minute (RPM) or Minutes per

Repeat (MPR)

• If reset action is faster than the process can respond,

Reset Windup can occur.

• Reset Action makes a control loop less stable.

Derivative Response
The rate of change of the error is calculated with respect to
time, multiplied by another constant , and added to the
Controller output. The derivative term is used to determine a
controller's response to a change or disturbance of the
process.

The derivative response is proportional to the rate of change

of the process variable. Increasing the derivative time (Td)
parameter will cause the control system to react more
strongly to changes in the error term and will increase the
speed of the overall control system response.
The larger the derivative term, the more rapidly the controller
will respond to changes in the process value.

Most practical control systems use very small derivative time

(Td), because the Derivative Response is highly sensitive to
noise in the process variable signal. If the sensor feedback
signal is noisy or if the control loop rate is too slow, the
derivative response can make the control system unstable.

Rate action is an anticipatory control, which provides a large

initial control signal to limit the final deviation. The typical
open loop response is shown in Figure
The rate response gives an immediate control signal, which
will be equal to what the proportional response would be
after some time, say, T minutes. Derivative units are given in
minutes. These are the minutes advance of proportional
action.

Proportional+ Derivative Response

• Derivative or rate action is anticipatory and will
usually reduce, but not eliminate, offset.

• Its units are minutes (advance of proportional

action).

• It tends to reduce lag in a control loop.

• Its use is generally limited to slow acting

processes.
The Characteristics of P, I, and D controllers

A proportional controller (Kp) will have the effect of reducing the

rise time and will reduce, but never eliminate, the steady-state
error.

An integral control (Ki) will have the effect of eliminating the

steady-state error, but it may make the transient response worse.

A derivative control (Kd) will have the effect of increasing the

stability of the system, reducing the overshoot, and improving the
transient response.
Proportional Control
By only employing proportional control, a steady state
error occurs.

Proportional and Integral Control

The response becomes more oscillatory and needs longer
to settle, the error disappears.

Proportional, Integral and Derivative Control

All design specifications can be reached.
Tips for Designing a PID Controller

1. Obtain an open-loop response and determine what needs to be

improved
2. Add a proportional control to improve the rise time
3. Add a derivative control to improve the overshoot
4. Add an integral control to eliminate the steady-state error
5. Adjust each of Kp, Ki, and Kd until you obtain a desired overall response.

Lastly, please keep in mind that you do not need to implement all three
controllers (proportional, derivative, and integral) into a single system, if
not necessary. For example, if a PI controller gives a good enough
response (like the above example), then you don't need to implement
derivative controller to the system. Keep the controller as simple as
possible.
 Types of Control
ON- OFF Control
Feedback or closed loop Control
Feed forward Systems
Open Loop
Cascade
Ratio
Split Range
Supervisory
 SAMA Legend
1. CONTROLLER Measuring or Readout

Automatic Signal Processing

A Manual Signal Processing

SET POINT
GENERATOR RESET Final Controlling

PROPORTIONAL
K ∫ | Signal Repeater
MANUAL SIGNAL
GENERATOR
∑ Summing ∑/h Summing
T A
AUTO./MAN. d/d1 Derivative ∆ Difference ∫ Integral
TRANSFER SWITCH
K, -K Proportional, Reverse Proportional
X Multiplying ÷ Dividing √ Root Extracting

2. AUTO MANUAL + BIAS STATION f(x) Non Linear or Unspecified Function

f(t) Time Function
> High Selecting < Low Selecting
A ± MANUAL SIGNAL High
|> Limiting Low|Limiting
>
BIAS
GENERATOR
ADJUSTMENT
Velocity or Rate Limiter
T A
AUTO./MAN. +, -, ± Bias
TRANSFER SWITCH
T Transfer A Analog Signal Generator
Simple Feedback Control
PRIMARY VARIABLE

XT

K PROCESS
SET POINT

A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Feedback Control
This concept justifies the use of the word negative in three
ways:
• The negative aspect of feeding the measured signal
backwards from the output to the input of the system.
(Actual definition of negative feedback control).

• The control correction must be negative in that a

correction rather than a compounding of error must occur.

• The fact that an error must occur before a correction can

take place, i.e., retrospective or negative control action.
Feed forward Plus Feedback Control
PRIMARY VARIABLE

XT

SECONDARY
VARIABLE

YT

PROCESS

SET POINT
A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Feedforward Control
If we wish to control our process without an error first
occurring, we must base our control on correction of the
disturbances, which will eventually, cause a process error. This
is termed feedforward control.

Feedforward control is rarely if ever used on its own but is

used in conjunction with feedback control to improve the
response of control to process disturbances.
 Cascade Control
PRIMARY VARIABLE

XT

SECONDARY
VARIABLE

ZT

PROCESS

SET POINT
A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Split Range Control
 Ratio Control
UNCONTROLLED VARIABLE

YT

CONTROLLED
VARIABLE

XT

X PROCESS

RATIO SET

A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Pressure Control
Split Range Control
Temperature Control
Control Systems in a Boiler
A. Drum level Control
The objective of this control is to maintain constant
Water Level in Boiler Drum.
A.1 Single Element Control
In this type of control the drum level is controlled
using drum level parameter only (Only one element
or Variable/Parameter) as illustrated in the Figure.
Single element Control Systems of this type are
suitable for Boilers with Relatively Large
Drums, especially where they are subject to
Small load (Steam demand) changes.
However when there are large load changes this
system can create large upsets in the Boiler drum
level & is inadequate.
Intuitively the drum level should fall Temporarily
when steam demand increases, because Water
removal rate increases before Feed water Flow
Controller can respond.
Likewise the water level should rise when steam demand
goes down because water removal rate decreases before the
Feed water Flow controller can react.
However in practice the reverse occurs.
An increase in Steam demand lowers the Drum Pressure .
This action Expands the volume of Steam bubbles ,Increasing
or SWELLING the Drum water level temporarily – even
though the water removal rate is decreased.
Similarly, A decrease in steam demand raises Drum pressure
– Contracting the Volume of Steam Bubbles,
reducing or SHRINKING the drum level
Temporarily,Eventhough the mass of water may rise
temporarily.
To counter this SWELLING & SHRINKAGE phenomenon
Two element Control is applied.
Single Element Feedwater Control
SWELL
NWL
DRUM LEVEL SHRINK

100

% STEAM FLOW 75 *
STEAM
FLOW FEEDWATER FLOW

50

25

0
0 TIME

* INTERACTION WITH FIRING RATE CONTROL DUE TO IMBALANCE

BETWEEN STEAM FLOW AND FEEDWATER FLOW.
A.2 Two Element Control
Two element control is a Feed Forward Control
Strategy, adding Steam flow as another variable as
illustrated in the figure.
This opposes the tendency of Feed water valve to
close due to SWELL or to open due to SHRINKAGE.
Performance Two Element (Ideal Conditions)
FEEDWATER PRESSURE

SWELL DRUM LEVEL

NWL
SHRINK

100

% STEAM FLOW
75
STEAM
FLOW FEEDWATER FLOW
50

25

0
0 TIME
Performance Two Element (Effect of Feedwater Variation)

FEEDWATER PRESSURE

SWELL
NWL

SHRINK DRUM LEVEL

100

% STEAM FLOW
75
STEAM FEEDWATER FLOW
FLOW
50

25

0
0 TIME
A.3 The Three Element Drum Level Control

In this a further third variable ,Feed water Flow is

added in the control Strategy, as Shown in the Figure.

Three element control can maintain Drum level

irrespective of Boiler load. These are recommended
for large boilers .
Performance Three Element